Moderate earthquake hit northern Afghanistan

An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale jolted Hindu Kush region in northern Afghanistan, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The quake was felt in the capital Kabul. The epicentre of the quake was 66 kilometres (41 miles) south of Feyzabad, Afghanistan, and the tremor struck at a depth of 174 kilometres, said the USGS. No reports on casualties or human losses were received in areas adjacent to the earthquake's epicentre. In June 75 persons were killed in northern Afghanistan in three earth tremors, according to UN reports. Some 74 thousand people were killed and 3.5 million made homeless in the devastating earthquake that hit Pakistan in October 2005.